# High end humidors, I do not get it



## Fuzzy (Jun 19, 2011)

I do understand the adage, you get what you pay for, more or less.

I have seen Davidoff, Elie Bleu and Dunhills humidors that sell for a grand or two. Besides the status, what makes them better? I have seen videos on the construction of some of these and it seems they are well built. What I do not get is most, if not all of them use veneers for the exterior. Sure, they are pretty, but in my addled mind, I would rather have a decent finished hardwood humidor like a Waxing Moon at at a quarter of the price.

Are these "status" humidors really better than a one off, built to personal spec, all hardwood humidor?


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## vert1276 (Apr 28, 2012)

its just like anything else. Why does someone buy a Ralph Loran shirt of $95 when they could buy one at old navy or $5?. But the higher end humidors are beautiful pieces of artwork IMO.....Waxing moon on the other hand? I would rather buy one of the 15 "china models" every retailer sells....Waxing moon humidors look like they were made in a junior high wood shop class to me....I'm sure they are high quality they are just ugly as hell IMO


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## zephead61 (Apr 18, 2012)

I have a Waxing Moon and wouldn't trade it for the most expensive Davidoff available!


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

Bruce, IMO, it's because most people aren't used to looking at custom options, either because they don't think about it as an option, or because they don't want to make decisions.

I'm guessing a lot of guys who aren't on some of these forums, have no idea that there's a guy out there making amazing, high-quality, custom humidors at a decent price. And even if they did know, when they went about purchasing something, a custom build probably just wouldn't come to mind, and they just shop from what's readily available. Custom builds aren't something a lot of people think about as an option, they're just used to purchasing from what's available in the retail market.

It's the same with any of the production wineadors - you can have virtually the same thing at a fraction of the price, but you have to think about it, plan it, take measurements, order the drawers, wait for the custom production, make decisions about finish and styling... there are a lot of people who it just wouldn't occur to them to do that, or they simply don't want to think about it, they just want something ready to go.

I know a lot of guys who are just too lazy to put the thought and effort required for a custom build, and would rather spend more for a production-line product.


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## Fuzzy (Jun 19, 2011)

vert1276 said:


> its just like anything else. Why does someone buy a Ralph Loran shirt of $95 when they could buy one at old navy or $5?. But the higher end humidors are beautiful pieces of artwork IMO.....Waxing moon on the other hand? I would rather buy one of the 15 "china models" every retailer sells....Waxing moon humidors look like they were made in a junior high wood shop class to me....I'm sure they are high quality they are just ugly as hell IMO


I have never seen a Waxing Moon humidor that was as you stated. The examples I have seen were pictures, mostly from Puff forums but also from another cigar forum. All showed excellent finishes, fine joints and details way above what I have seen from the sweatshop humidors. Please show me examples that you have seen.


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## vert1276 (Apr 28, 2012)

zephead61 said:


> I have a Waxing Moon and wouldn't trade it for the most expensive Davidoff available!


some of them are very nice....maybe I was being a little harsh on them, they are just not my style is all....And I don't a own a "high end humidor" but I would like to someday.


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

vert1276 said:


> some of them are very nice....maybe I was being a little harsh on them, they are just not my style is all....And I don't a own a "high end humidor" but I would like to someday.


You know they're _custom _built, right? Meaning whatever style you want, he can produce.


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## vert1276 (Apr 28, 2012)

Fuzzy said:


> I have never seen a Waxing Moon humidor that was as you stated. The examples I have seen were pictures, mostly from Puff forums but also from another cigar forum. All showed excellent finishes, fine joints and details way above what I have seen from the sweatshop humidors. Please show me examples that you have seen.


I don't want you to misunderstand the point I was trying to make. As I said in my post "I'm sure they are high quality" I'm not talking about the construction of them. but rather the "plain Jane" styling of them. I don't want my humidor to match my dinning room table....I want to look exotic and extravagant. but everyone has their own taste. I'm sure for some that is exactly the style they were looking for. Its just not what I'm looking for in a humidor


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## jswaykos (Oct 26, 2010)

It's like any high end anything. They tend to last longer than your mass produced humidors and are made better, but they're also 'one of a kind', or at least more unique. Some people place added value on that. A Ferrari and a Civic will both get you from point A to point B. Now as for the Davidoff humidors and whatnot, I'm sure the vast majority of the 'extra' price you're paying is for the name.


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## vert1276 (Apr 28, 2012)

Aninjaforallseasons said:


> You know they're _custom _built, right? Meaning whatever style you want, he can produce.


ok I'm now backin away from this thread slowly LOL :help: I didn't want to offend anyone and maybe I was a bit harsh in my OP. It's just the pics I have seen they seem very plain. I'm sure he can build a very nice humidor. I have just yet to see anything from them where I was like "WOW that is a beautiful piece of artwork" but to each their own. That's why there are so many custom humidor builders out their...Michael Dixon humidors is more my style....


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

vert1276 said:


> ok I'm now backin away from this thread slowly LOL :help: I didn't want to offend anyone and maybe I was a bit harsh in my OP. It's just the pics I have seen they seem very plain. I'm sure he can build a very nice humidor. I have just yet to see anything from them where I was like "WOW that is a beautiful piece of artwork" but to each their own. That's why there are so many custom humidor builders out their...Michael Dixon humidors is more my style....


Dont sweat it. Everyones entitled to their own opinion.
Some of Eds humis are not to my liking either while others he's made are fantastic to my eyes.
great thing is you get to pick what you want when ordering.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

@ Bruce:

Yeah, those uber-premium priced humidors are indeed, "status symbols". Are they of premium quality? In most cases, yes. Does the craftsmanship equate to the sticker price? Not even. If you want to see a humidor with an uber-premium price tag, where the craftsmanship justifies the sticker price, shop Arlin Liss. Not quite in the price catagory, but pretty sexy, is Humidor Minister's creations. He knows his shizzle.

In my not-so-humble opinion concerning wood and humidors, I think you're wise to avoid the extremes; Arlin, being the exception. The crap purveyed by most online retailers is garbage. It's at least an eventual horror show. If they work out of the box, within several months, they're nearly guaranteed to move and loosen up. Hinges pull out. Veneers de-lam'. Seals go south. Glass starts rattling.

The other end of the spectrum; the Dunhills, Bleu's, Davidoffs, etc, again, are status symbols. Many of them are indeed "arty", but as to whether they are "works of art" is debatable. They're no longer manufactured by ye olde whirled craftsmen, but are CNC'd in mass-production environments. The only thing that makes them "limited production" is because some sales exec has set a number of how many he can sell and still leave a few people wanting them.

"Veneer" does NOT automatically mean low quality. In many cases, such as Daniel Marshall, yes, you do get thin veneer, but you get a LOT more Spanish cedar. It's a trade-off. What makes the difference is the quality of the veneer. Grade AAAA woods are not cheap, even in veneer form. You pay for figuring and graining. You also pay for age and finish. Wet sanding and 20 coats of thin clear, cost money. Hand rubbing, costs even more.


As was stated above, it really comes down to personal taste and personal need. If you "need" to have a $2500, 30ct humidor on your 9ft antique walnut credenza, then you gotta have that limited edition Davidoff humidor. It's like a $3600 ST Dupont gold lighter, or Patek Phillipe watch; it says "I'm successful".

Of the five wooden humidors I'm currently in, my favorite is veneered. It's a RyJ limited edition contemporary of pretty impressive build quality. The veneers are AAA-AAAA and the cedar is an inch and a half thick. The shelves are milled, half inch stock and it holds RH as well as plastic. In contrast, I have a custom, hand-made, one-off design that I have to recharge twice a week in the winter. It's thick, hardwood outer and half-inch cedar liner are unsealed; just hand-rubbed, so won't seal in moisture. Regardless of the relentless craftsmanship evidenced in it's appearance, it just acts like a tree; it breathes.

@ Jason:

No need to back away from a thread where you voiced your honest and well-articulated opinion. Personally, I have no patience for "fan-boys" who disallow criticism of something designated as a "my favorite". Perhaps your opinion of Waxingmoon's work might spark something in him; provoke some insight. Perhaps you could offer something that might improve, or shed light on his craft. Not saying I agree with you, but this is what "discussion forums" are all about. As long as things are discussed respectfully, it's all good.


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## szyzk (Nov 27, 2010)

vert1276 said:


> Waxing moon humidors look like they were made in a junior high wood shop class to me....I'm sure they are high quality they are just ugly as hell IMO


I'm going to go out on a limb and say that your opinion (which you're allowed to have) would probably be changed if you saw them in person. I don't think that Ed's camera really does justice to his work - in many cases he lets the natural wood do the talking and that doesn't always translate well to his photos. My opinion is that his construction is up there with the best in the business (ie, you won't have a seal issue), his use of inlays is impeccable and I love how the natural grain is allowed to show through.

To Fuzzy: a lot of what you're paying for in a Davidoff et al. is the name. They're certainly better than the $50 mass-produced Chinese-made boxes, though.


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## Fuzzy (Jun 19, 2011)

I am not trying to be argumentative, simply looking for answers. I now "get" the high buck humidor as a status symbol, just want to know if they are more functional than say, a custom one off design by any number of quality builders, or other non mass produced humidors that cost quite a bit less.


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## szyzk (Nov 27, 2010)

Fuzzy said:


> I am not trying to be argumentative, simply looking for answers. I now "get" the high buck humidor as a status symbol, just want to know if they are more functional than say, a custom one off design by any number of quality builders, or other non mass produced humidors that cost quite a bit less.


For functionality? Probably not. In the end, they work as well (some may be slightly better, some may be slightly worse) than one off designs - they're held to a high standard like you would get from a custom builder.


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## RWalleyTX (Feb 21, 2012)

some are built better than others some built with very fine detail, some have a better seal, some last forever some fall apart over the years, some are just fine some are more than fine. Kia or Ferrari hundai or BMW. no matter what way you look at it it is still basically a wood box to store you cigars. Im my opinion I want the best that looks good to me and that I can afford simple as that. Some like wine coolers some like regular coolers everyone has their own standards and taste.


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## Tina Loch (Jul 20, 2016)

Marc André¨

This is very nice Quality

https://www.humidor.de/produkte/century-humidore/index.html

https://www.humidor.de/produkte/century-humidore/century-centurion/index.html

https://www.humidor.de/humidor-nach-mass.html


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